Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and conveyed a special welcome to Lesley Powell, CEO Citizens Advice Denbighshire and Katie Goodwin, DWP Partnership Manager who were in attendance for agenda item 6 – Universal Credit.  

The Leader, Councillor Hugh Evans gave his apologies as Lead member for agenda item 7- Tourism Signage Strategy for Denbighshire.

Councillor Merfyn Parry declared a personal interest in agenda item 6 - Universal Credit.

To elect the Committee’s Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2018/19 (see attached copy of the role description for Scrutiny Member and Chair/Vice-Chair)

Councillor Graham Timms was nominated and seconded for the role of Vice-Chair of the Communities Scrutiny Committee. No other nominations were received and it was:

RESOLVED that Councillor Graham Timms be appointed Vice-Chair of Communities Scrutiny Committee for the 2018/2019 municipal year.

No urgent matters were raised.

To receive the minutes of the Communities Scrutiny Committee held on 22 March 2018 (copy enclosed).

The minutes of the meeting of the Communities Scrutiny Committee held on 22 March were submitted.

Matters arising –

Page 12- Agenda item 6 – Seagull Management Update Report – The Scrutiny Coordinator confirmed that correspondence with Betsi Cadwaladr University health Board (BCUHB) requesting information regarding numbers of individuals who had attended Local Hospitals had not included the number of individuals who attended General Practitioner’s (GP) surgeries. The task to collate figures of all GP surgeries would be great.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2018, be received and approved as a correct record.

To consider a report by the Contracts & Performance Project Manager (copy enclosed) detailing the likely effects of the introduction of Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) on Council services and on the County’s residents and the planning and preparation taken to date.

10.10-11.00 a.m

The Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets introduced a report by Contracts and Performance Project Manager:  Finance (previously circulated) which outlined the likely effects of the recent introduction of Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) on Council services and the county’s residents, and the planning and preparation work undertaken to date by the Council and its partners for the potential impact of its introduction.  Prior to detailing the report’s contents the Lead Member introduced the Council officers in attendance along with the representatives from the key partner organisations, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Citizens Advice Denbighshire (CAD), with whom the authority had been working closely with a view to managing the impact of the UCFS introduction in the county.  During his introduction the Lead Member advised that whilst the majority of Denbighshire had formed part of the UCFS roll-out which commenced in April 2018, as it was served by the Rhyl Job Centre, residents in the southern part of the county had been subject to UCFS from October 2017 as their local Job Centre was at Wrexham, whilst some residing on the county’s western fringes were going a few weeks later as they are impacted by Llandudno Job Centre.

Members were advised that the introduction of Universal Credit formed part of the UK Government’s programme of welfare reform.  It was a means-tested benefit, administered by the DWP, which was available to people of working age on low incomes, either in work or out of work.  The new benefit replaced the six main benefits or tax credits which were available to people of working age and combined them into one single household payment on a monthly basis.  Conscious of the potential implications of UCFS’s introduction on residents and Council services alike the Council established a Universal Credit Board in July 2017.  The purpose of the Board, which comprised of officers from a wide range of Council services and key partner stakeholders i.e. DWP, CAD and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) was to develop a corporate approach towards providing support and advice to residents affected by the changes to ensure that they were not missing out on their benefit entitlement or any associated entitlements i.e. Free School Meals FSMs etc. As part of the planning for UCFS’s introduction in the county officers had liaised closely with other authorities, such as Flintshire, where UCFS had been rolled-out earlier with a view to learning from their experiences and capturing best practice. 

Council officers in attendance explained to the Committee the measures implemented to date in a bid to mitigate the effects of the benefit’s introduction on residents and on Council services, illustrating the linkages between the work of various groups and stakeholders.  They outlined the risks identified in relation to its introduction and the mitigating actions instigated to manage those risks (as detailed in Appendix 3) and the various communications which had been issued to residents and stakeholders during the time leading up to, and following the benefit’s introduction (Appendix 5).  With a view to providing a seamless service and a multi-agency approach CAD and the Council have staff located in Rhyl Job Centre to provide a range of support and advice to those claiming UC including budgetary advice (CAD) and housing advice, homeless prevention and access to other entitlements available from the Council. The Council had also improved its referral process to CAD, it now referred potential clients digitally.  In addition two videos had been produced and were available on the UC webpage of Council’s website, the purpose of which were to signpost residents to where advice and help was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider a report by the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager and the Team Leader - Tourism, Marketing and Events, updating members on the initial development of a tourism signage strategy for Denbighshire.

11.15-12.00 p.m.

In the absence of the Leader the Deputy Leader (Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets) introduced a joint report by the Council’s Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager and the Team Leader:  Tourism, Marketing and Events (previously circulated) which updated members on the initial development of a tourism signage strategy for Denbighshire.  He briefed members on the background to the project and explained that once the ‘brown’ tourist signs were erected on the side of the A55 to direct visitors to Rhuddlan, St. Asaph and Denbigh, there would need to be other signs to signpost them to other attractions across the county.  Lead Members and officers were of the view that erection of the A55 signs and the introduction of the Welsh Government’s (WG) tourism initiative ‘The Wales Way’ (attached at appendix C to the report) which focussed on promoting three core tourism routes in the country, provided an ideal opportunity for the Council itself to develop a tourism signage strategy for Denbighshire which complemented both the A55 signs and the WG’s vision, whilst developing the county’s urban and rural economies.  In addition to working with town and community councils, tourism and other businesses to develop and provide ‘traditional’ signage it would also be advisable to maximise digital information portals and business opportunities, such as ‘i-beacons’.

Officers advised that North Wales local authorities had recently submitted a successful joint bid under ‘The Wales Way’ project to develop winter tourism in the region.  Work was currently underway with local businesses across the region with a view to engaging them with a project that would see tourist related businesses open all year round and thriving, whatever the season.  Whilst technology was developing on a daily basis, roadside signs were still an important way of drawing attractions to the attention of tourists, digital information was supplemental to signs. 

Responding to members questions the Lead Member and officers advised that:

·         tourist operator usually paid for ‘brown’ signs, but that the Council usually paid any maintenance costs relating to them despite not having a specific budget for maintenance costs of the signs;

·         the proposed elected member and officer working group could work out the details of preferred and alternative tourist routes throughout the county, as part of its work in developing ‘tourist trails’.  The Group could also discuss with city, town and community councils the benefits of developing and purchasing signs which had a consistent branding.  This working group would solely look at a signage strategy, including the inclusion of easily identifiable symbols etc., for the county’s highways network, it would not examine trunk road signage as they were the responsibility of WG.  Once established it was envisaged that there would be an opportunity for the Working Group to work with other neighbouring authorities with a view to ensuring that each authority’s ‘tourism trails’ would complement each other’s trails and those identified as part of the pan-North Wales Way bid;

·         whilst the Council no longer had its own ‘Sign Shop’ it could still procure road signs at a competitive rate, albeit that there would be some time delay for delivery;

·         the Working Group charged with progressing the A55 tourist signs for the Vale of Clwyd attractions had re-convened following the Committee’s November meeting with a view to progressing the project.  There was a slight shortfall in the funding available for the signs which the Assembly Member (AM) was attempting to solve via WG;

·         whilst tourist were increasingly relying on digital information about where to visit etc. there would still be a need for paper documentation such as maps and guides;  and

·         political  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues.

12.00-12.15 p.m.

The Scrutiny Coordinator submitted a report (previously circulated) seeking members’ review of the Committee’s work programme and provided an update on relevant issues.

Discussion focused on the following -

·         the two items on the work programme for the Committee’s next meeting were re-affirmed and it was agreed to invite the relevant Lead Cabinet Members to that meeting;

·         it was agreed to include an update report on Universal Credit and Tourism Signage Strategy for Denbighshire on the Committee’s Forward Work programme in 12 month’s time;

·         reference  was made to the Committee’s information brief which included an update on actions from the last meeting together with further information as requested

It was:

Resolved: - subject to the above to confirm the Committee’s forward work programme

To receive any updates from Committee representatives on various Council Boards and Groups

12.15-12.20 p.m.

Committee representatives reported upon their attendance at meetings as follows –

Councillor Huw Williams had attended the Service Performance Challenge for Finance and noted that an update report had been included in the information update brief.